Hoop for exhibiton purposes.



QR- H 1 case:

PATENTED JULY 7, 1908'.

H. W. ORIOHTON.

HOOP FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES.

APPLIOATION nun) oer. 1, 1907.

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HENRY W. CRICHTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HOOP FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1908.

Application filed October 1, 1907. Serial No. 395,354.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. CRIonToN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoops for Exhibition Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hoops such as are used in stage exhibitions for hoop rolling, performed by hand. By certain movements in the throwing of the hoop it is caused to reverse its direction and return to the operator or change its direction after being thrown and return to various places on the stage or other place of the performance.

The object of the present invention is to produce a hoop of this character with means which will cause the hoop to engage an object such as ahandkerchie'f and return it to the operator. y

In the drawings forming part of this a plication, Figure 1 is a side elevation part y in section showing the hoo as it leaves the operator. Fig. 2 is a simi ar View showing the hoop as it has picked up the handkerchief and is reversing its direction of movement. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

The hoop 1 is constructed preferably in the form of a crescent in cross section as is shown in Fig. 3 having a convex inner surface 2 which will be suitable for the hand of the operator and a concave outer surface 3 thus producing peripheral rims 4 and 5 on either or both of which the hoop is adapted to travel. That is to say, if the hoop is perpendicular, it will travel on the rims 4 and 5, whereas, if it is slightly inclined it will travel on only one of the rims. WVithin the peripheral groove 3 I provide one or more projecting pins 6 and 7 which are pointed so as to engage the object to be picked up by the hoop and by having the points of the pins 6 and 7 project in opposite directions, they will pick up the object regardless of which way the hoop is held at the time it is operated, that is to say, which ever way the hoo revolves, either the pins 6 or the pins 7 wi engage the object according to which way the hoop is revolved. If these points are within the groove 3 they are below the point of poripheral contact of the hoop upon the floor so that there is no interference with the rolling of the hoo The pins as shown in Fig. 3 are preferabfy driven through the rim and the points bent over.

In using the device the operator throws the hoop out as shown in Fig. 1 in the direo tion of the arrows near the floor and at the end of the throw he exerts a revolving action upon the hoop so that the hoop rotates in the direction of the arrows near the hoop. As the momentum of the longitudinal throw of the hoop "radually reduces, the revolving motion finalI causes the hoop to change its direction ancf either return to the operator, or, if the operator is well skilled in the use of the hoops, he can so control the action as to cause them to return to various places. In each instance, however, the outward throw of the hoop is overcome by the rotation and the direction of travel of the hoo is reversed.

By placing an object on the "1001' such as a handkerchief 8 the movement of the hoop will cause it to ass over it and the material will be pressed y the rims 4 and 5 leavin the material projecting into the groove 3 ant as the hoop is revolving very rapidly the pins 7, in the movement shown in the drawings will engage in the handkerchief and carry with it the hoop in its return movement. Any number of-engaging pins may be provided but as the hoop revolves very ra idly I find that the number shown in the c rawings is suflicient. placing the pins as shown in the drawings they will not interfere with the usual operation of the hoop and are not liable to injure the hand of the operator so that the hoo may be used for ordinary urposes and wifi possess the advantages set 'orth.

Having described my invention, what I claim is,

1. An article of the class described, comprising a hoop having a projecting pin adapted to engage an object placed in the path of travel of the hoop.

2. An artlcle of the class described, comprising a hoop having a peripheral depression and a in in said depression adapted to engage an o ject placed in the path of travel of the hoop.

It will be seen that .by.

3. An article of the class described, comtions and substantially in a line with the prising a hoop having a groove extending circumference of the hoop. around the periphery thereof and between Signed this 13th day of September, 1907. 10

a lurality of peripheral flanges, and a plu- H. W. CRICHTON. ra ity of pins in said groove and below the WVitnesses: plane of the peripheral flanges said pins hav- CHARLES T. LAMB,

ing their points running in reverse direc- C. JOHNSON. 

